Coaxial connector modules are known in the prior art, as shown for example by U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,343. As seen in such patent, coaxial connector modules are employed to electrically connect high frequency signals to a circuit on a circuit board. However, prior art coaxial connector modules includes contact elements with multiple internal connections within a housing. Such internal connections resulted in decreased electrical efficiency, increased parasitic effects, and increased construction costs. These prior devices also included relatively complex housing constructions in order to separately channel multiple high frequency signals and shields, thereby resulting in increased construction and materials costs.
Specifically, in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,343, within the housing, the center contact of each contact element includes two pieces, each inserted from a respective housing face into a channel, where the two pieces are soldered or welded together inside the housing, and where the channel is then filled with an insulating material. As can be appreciated, such an insertion and assembly process can be cumbersome and prone to error. Moreover, the quality of the joint between the two pieces can be suspect, resulting in electrical inefficiencies that can include unwanted resistive, capacitive, and/or inductive characteristics that might interfere with high frequency signals. As seen in the same patent, the housing includes a block of metal surrounding the insulation and acting as a shield. The use of a block of metal necessarily includes considerable time and expense in milling and drilling to form the required channels therein.
Accordingly, a need still exists for an angled coaxial connector module with contact elements that do not have internal connections that would decrease electrical efficiency. Also, a need exists for such a connector module which is constructed in a cost-effective manner from relatively inexpensive materials such that a relatively high state electrical efficiency is maintained.